Wanderer's Lullaby
by Makesushi
Summary: Two siblings die in their world and find themselves on a strange new adventure. Andraste held them in her arms, begging them to save the world that her husband had abandoned. She gives them power and lets them do what they think they must, to help the mortals she loves so very much.
1. Chapter 1

Lucas didn't understand what he was seeing right away. There was a woman, who was holding him close to her chest, humming softly to him. She was shockingly beautiful. Her white-blond hair fell around her shoulders to her mid back. She had pointed ears and bright orange eyes that danced with kindness. Her skin was as dark as night and as smooth as a baby's, glowing with stunning perfection. Lucas had never seen anything more amazing in his life.

She held him with such thoughtfulness, every move she made, to ensure that he was always comfortable. The song she sang to him was slow, in a language he'd never heard before. He wondered why she was holding him. He was sure that he should be feeling unbearable pain after the accident. The car had wrapped around a light post. He and Alexis had been both been crushed. So who was this angel who was singing to him?

"Don't be afraid." The angel said, brushing some of his hair out of his eyes. "You won't feel pain anymore. Not while you're here with me." She promised him.

"Where is here?" Lucas asked. The woman let him up and he looked around him. They were in a room that was decorated in lovely shades of greens and creams. "How did I get here?" Lucas asked her.

"You died, dear." The woman said solemnly. At Lucas's alarmed look she shushed him, pulling him closer into her arms. "Do not fret, little one. I saw what happened to you and your brother. I shouldn't have, I know, it was your time to go into the next life. But..." She looked over towards a fluffy bed where Lucas saw Alexis was resting. "I saw an opportunity that I just couldn't pass up. I have a favor to ask of you, child."

He looked at her hesitantly. "What kind of favor, miss?"

She turned her head towards a window, where the purple sky shinned softly, lightning dancing in the sky. "The world that my beloved created is rotting. He spent so much time and careful planning to make everything perfect, and for a time he loved his creations. They were his second attempt, the first, his first children were twisted, wicked creatures. He had to seal them away. Oh, he was so very happy with the mortal little things he made. But my love is a jealous master. He saw that the other gods took interest in his world. He saw that some of his creations loved these other gods, so he abandoned his children. He withdrew from them, he refuses to help them."

"I don't understand where you're going with this," Lucas said.

"Will you help them?" The woman asked. "I could let you and your brother live again. I could give you powers you could have only dreamed of once upon a time. You could be gods in this world. All I ask is you be the aid that my husband will not give."

"We're really dead then?" Lucas paused for a moment and looked back at his brother, who looked so peaceful in his dreamless sleep. "What would we have to do?"

"Whatever you thought you needed." She told him.

"What kind of powers would you give us?"

"The powers one would expect any god to have." She said. "I will send you to the very beginning, where the rot was just starting to take root, and you may make your mark on the world. You will never die, neither of you will ever have to fear the grip of the afterlife again. You will not age. You will be young and powerful forever."

It was a tempting offer. If he wasn't sure all she really wanted was for him to help her husband's 'children' he would be sure she was a devil, trying to trick him into something. It was hard to believe, and as they say, things that seem too good to be true, usually are. "It won't be easy though, will it?" Lucas smirked at her. She had enough sense to look embarrassed.

She shook her head sadly. "No, no it will not be easy. The hearts of my love's children can be very wicked. Mortal, or otherwise."

"So are you a goddess?" Lucas asked. "It sounds like your husband is a god, won't he be mad that my brother and I kind of just came to take over?"

"Yes, my husband is the god of this world. However, he does not care what his children do any longer. I was the exception. When his children die, he discards them into the fade, damning them to an eternity of misery. He lost the right to be angry about anything that happens in the world he created."

"What about you? What are you?"

"I am but a memory now. Once, I was known as Andraste, but no longer. I will give all of my conscious existence to send you back to the beginning. Hundreds and thousands of years before I was ever even born. Perhaps we may meet again. Now my child, what is your answer?"

He nodded but she was still looking at him expectantly. "Yes, in exchange for becoming the gods of that world, my brother and I will guard her people. We will do as we must, to lend our aid." He looked over at Alexis. "He gets that power to, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he will get power as well." She smiled thankfully at him. "I would also like for you to create a suitable afterlife for the children, the fade is no place for rest. A soul becomes a demon there if left alone too long."

She moved closer and kissed his cheek. Lucas fell into her arms and blacked out.

* * *

"Oh my goodness!" He heard someone say from somewhere above him. "Wake up, Lucky."

Lucas snapped his eyes open and saw that Alexis was leaning over him with tears in his eyes. "Shit, what happened?"

"We have horns!" Alexis said. And they did. Alexis's horns were curved and pointed up. They were pitch black, reflecting light like beautiful onyx stones. Lucas reached up and touched his own horns. They twisted down like a ram's, their tips pointing towards his temples. Alexis reached out and touched Lucas's horns. "It's strange, I know what happened, but I don't know how." He chewed his bottom lip.

Lucas noticed the things that were different about his brother. His brown eyes were now a bright yellow with dark slits in the middle, instead of pupils. He also had reddish-brown tattoos over each eye that formed a thin diamond. His ears were long and pointed. Alexis looked adorable, and yet, so very dangerous. Lucas hoped that he looked just as frightening.

"Lucky, I lit a tree on fire." He gestured towards a tree that was scorched. "I just got so scared and..."

"It's alright," Lucas said. He slowly got to his feet, using Alexis as a crutch. He stretched, and he could feel every bone in his body pop. "So, what do we do now?" Lucas wondered to himself.

"Well, that pretty lady said we were gods now...so something...godly?" Alexis shrugged. "I've never been in this position before, I'm not sure how to do this."

"You saw her too?"

"Yeah, she took me by the hand and set me down here. She was very sparse about her explanations." Alexis said.

There was a loud hissing and Lucas covered his head when he heard a voice invade his mind. There was a young woman, sobbing in agony. It was so hard to listen to. 'Oh gods, if any of you listen to this lowly servant, please save my family.'

Lucas looked over and saw that Alexis had a similar response. "What in the heck was that?" Alexis asked, rubbing his temple.

"I think someone was praying to us," Lucas said, looking towards the area where the voice had come from. "Helping others was the only condition she gave us, so...let's go." Lucas took Alexis by the hand and led them up the hill.

Alexis pulled his hand away and looked at Lucas strangely. "Um, we're gods now, we don't have to go walking everywhere."

"Well, what do we do, exactly?"

Alexis hummed and thought deeply. "Just close your eyes and hold my hand," Alexis said. Lucas took his hand and closed his eyes. He could still hear that young woman, but distantly. He felt his being shift and suddenly he was standing knee deep in water. He opened his eyes, just in time to see a yellow light fading away. There was screaming, so much screaming.

They were in a boat and wicked wind pounded against them. Lucas was annoyed by that. He held up his hand and the wind stopped. He looked down and saw a family of six people cowering in a corner. The father pushed them all behind him. They were all bound up in chains, with filthy skin, soaking wet. They were all also elven. "Don't be afraid." He said, holding out his hand. "We heard your cries, and we have come, to save you."

Alexis snapped his fingers and the chains disappeared.

"What manner of spectator art ye?" The man demanded.

Alexis walked closer with his hands cupped together. He opened them and there were three large apples. "I am Alexis, god of peace." He said. Then he looked at Lucas. "This is my older brother Lucas god of...luck?" Alexis turned and looked at Lucas who shrugged and nodded. Alexis looked at the only daughter. "I heard you call to me child, please tell me why you despair."

'All those years of larping are paying off, aren't they, Alexis.' Lucas thought, crossing his arm over his chest.

The young girl, she must have been about thirteen, looked up at her father who nodded slowly. She stepped out from behind him and reached for an apple. She seemed encouraged by how happy Alexis looked when she took it. "The god of our village is a cruel monster. He demands a sacrifice, so our family was sent out on this boat. We were meant to die."

"The beast will trouble you no longer," Lucas said. "Take this boat and go west, find a new land, and a new home."

"Thank you, my lord," The man said, bowing his head. "But what are we to eat?"

"You will eat fish, and every week, bread will rain from the sky for your family," Lucas said. "Now, begone from here."

* * *

Lucas was wondering in the Fade. Andraste hadn't been kidding when she said it was a dumping ground. It seemed everywhere he turned, he could hear the tortured screams of a mortal soul. Eventually, Lucas stood before the spirit of an elven man, who seemed unconcerned by the happenings around him. "Excuse me..."Lucas walked up to him. The man was sitting behind a desk, very occupied with his work. He looked up, irritation clear on his old face.

"Do you mind? I'm busy." He spat. "Go spend your sorrowful eternity somewhere else."

"What are you working on?" Lucas asked, pulling up a chair, and sitting down.

The elf frowned, looking down at his paper. There was blood splattered all over it. "I...I do not remember." His eyes widened as he looked at Lucas. "Fan'an was supposed to bring me my tea, but he'd already been killed. One of the unholy nine was coming for me. Yes...yes...I remember now...Alduin was there to slay me. Now I am here." He put his paper down. "Forever."

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Lucas said, truly meaning it. "However, I think I might have a way for us to fix a similar problem we have." He gestured with his hand to the nonsensical goings on of the Fade. "This cannot be a happy place to live."

"No, it is agony."

Lucas hummed and snapped his fingers. The man's desk became part of an office with a roaring fire. The man seemed...so relieved to feel the warmth on his skin. "Whenever someone dies, you will receive the records of their lives. To the good, you will give them the choice to be reborn or to move onto the next life. For the wicked, you will judge them. If you believe they could have been good, send them to be reborn, if you believe their hearts were always filled with evil, send them out into the Fade. Rebirth is the door on the right, the afterlife, to your left."

"That's a lot of work." The elf said with a frown. "Many die every hour, how am I to handle it all myself? Am I to work tirelessly for all of eternity?"

"No, you've got a point," Lucas said with a wave of his hand. He extended the office to accommodate a hundred people. "Where I hailed from, it was a common belief that those who ended their own lives served others in the next world forever. I won't do that to them. They will serve one hundred times the years they had left in their lives, then they may move on to be reborn. You will also allow them one year of vacation every fifty years. You yourself will do the same."

"What would we do on 'vacation?'" The elf asked.

Lucas thought. "See what the next world has to offer."

"Very well." The elf said, bowing his head. "What may I call you, my lord?"

"I am Lucas, god of luck." Lucas bowed his head.

The door opened, and a very young boy walked in. Lucas frowned sadly. "Your first client has arrived, I know you'll do me proud."

"Yes, Lord Lucas."

* * *

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Alexis asked, hanging off of a tree branch by his legs, swinging back and forth.

They'd been in that strange world for just two days. But Lucas had noticed many strange things that didn't make any sense to him. "Have you noticed there's no sun or moon in the sky? Or stars?" Lucas asked. "Have you noticed that the sky is purple?

"Uh yeah, weird place, right?" Alexis said. "Do you think we could...make the sun and moon?" Alexis asked.

"Yeah," Lucas said, chewing on his bottom lip. "I want to make the moon." He looked at the palm of his hand. He reached down and grabbed a white rock from the ground, turning it over in his hands. "You should make the sun."

Alexis jumped from the tree and looked around on the ground until he found a red stone. "So how do we do this, exactly?"

"I don't have a damn clue." Lucas sucked in a deep breath and pressed his lips against the stone before he threw it into the air. He watched in amazement as it flew, slowly becoming the familiar shape of a moon, and settling into the sky. The world was plunged into darkness, with only the small light to guide, so he reached down and collected a handful of sand and dirt. He threw that into the air as well, smiling when they became the beautiful, glittering stars, that were so familiar to him.

"Oh come on!" Alexis said, throwing his arms into the air. "That's just ridiculous, there's gotta be a limit to our power," he said.

"Maybe," Lucas said. "Are you going to make the sun yet?"

"Not for 12 hours," he said. "Night and day, you know." He looked over the red rock with deep concentration. "We have to really make sure to do this right. We can't afford to mess up, everything we do affects the entire population on this planet."

"Right, right, I'll make sure to remember that," Lucas pulled his brother in for a quick hug. "But you have to admit, this is really fun."

"It is a lot of fun." Alexis giggled. He looked up at the sky and sighed. "You should make constellations. It just doesn't feel right without a few."

"Someone will change the name anyways, but...maybe just one." Lucas reached out and used his pointer finger to make a shape of an apple. "I think we need to get a theme going if we want anyone to take us seriously."

"And...apples are the theme?" Alexis asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You gave those apples to that family. It's a sign of hope, of peace, of good fortune." Lucas nodded. "So they seem just as good as anything, in my humble opinion."

"I guess that does make a lot of sense."

* * *

Fifty years passed them by and neither of them had aged a day. Lucas still looked like he was twenty-one and Alexis still looked like he was nineteen. They had built themselves a comfortable little home in a deep mountain, overlooking a village filled with their most devoted followers. These followers were made up of all kinds of strange people, but it was appreciated, none the less. Being worshiped was hard for both of the brothers to get used to, but they managed, taking care of the needs of those that depended on them.

Every day, more and more people prayed for their help. The two new gods would travel wherever they were called if the need was great enough. People would burn yellow apples for them as offerings, and the brothers would find them in their home, steaming, sometimes with honey or cinnamon. But along with the good came the bad. It was 51 years after someone had dedicated their first temple to them that a jealous elven deity came prowling into their sanctuary. Lucas stepped up to fight her, wanting to protect his younger brother.

The deity was called Daern'thal. Lucas could tell, just by looking at her, that she was no goddess. She was powerful, oh so very powerful, but not a god. "Who do you think you are, you had no right to make your home in this world, baby god." She snarled at him.

"I have to quarrel with you, leave us be, and I will not harm you," Lucas said coldly. He pushed Alexis behind him, showing a strong face.

She threw her head back and laughed at him. It was an ugly laugh full of vile intentions. "I am the elven goddess of death." She snarled at him. "You're just as arrogant as the others, now, let me show you what real power is."

She raised her hands to the sky and called down powerful magic. She gathered it in her palms and threw it towards Lucas, who dodged, but not quick enough. He let out a shout of pain, as it grazed his side. He grabbed his midsection, trying to push the foul magic out of his body. He wouldn't die, he knew that, but fuck did he wish he could in that moment. Never in all his years had he felt so much pain.

Alexis screamed and rushed at her. He grabbed her by the neck, his hands heating up, becoming a glowing white. She was screaming, Alexis was screaming, Lucas was crying against a tree. Alexis pulled away from her. Her neck had burns that were in the shape of Alexis's hands. "You are no match for a real god, faker!" Alexis screamed at her, with balled hands. "Now leave us be, or I will show you the power of the being who created the sun!" He screamed.

Daern'thal clutched at her throat, wide-eyed, frightened. "Wh-what have you done to me?"

"I've taken your power from your body," Alexis said. He opened his hands and in them laid a purple gemstone. He threw it at her. "You may use it, but it will never be truly yours again, it is mine and should you trouble me again, I will take your powers away forever. Now be gone from this place, and never return."

When she was gone, Alexis rushed over to Lucas, helping him sit up easier. The younger brother lifted Lucas's shirt and hissed at the long lines that were left on his tanned flesh. "You won't die," Alexis said. "The beautiful woman promised."

"I know I won't," he groaned in pain. He laid his hand on his wound and closed his eyes. He could numb the pain and stop the bleeding, but the scars would be there forever. "Hurts like hell though."

"Let me help you up," Alexis said. He couldn't help but fuss over his older brother. He hadn't seen him injured in such a long time. Almost an entire lifetime had passed and during all of that, and they hadn't had a single battle. "That woman...we should be careful with her."

"That we should," Lucas leaned against Alexis, groaning loudly in pain. He looked down at his younger brother with a sly grin. "But after a display like that, I don't think she'll be coming around to bother us again."

"I hope you're right, brother."


	2. Chapter 2

**Year -289 of FA**

It had been seven thousand years since they had become gods of their strange new world. Alexis often found himself traveling everywhere, trying to meet new people, trying to find some way to help. In the years he and Lucas had ruled the continent of Usios, Alexis had helped to build thriving cities. He'd helped their infrastructure, their economy. He wished they would venture further into the world, but Lucas had forbidden that. There was much unrest in the other parts of the world. But Alexis was curious. So he told his brother that we would be leaving for a decade or two, so he could see what the rest of the world had to offer.

Things could get dull when you were a god. Alexis walked through a barren field, watching as the elves tried their very hardest to work it. A few of the elves that saw him ran away in fear. The horns, the eyes, the aura of danger that surrounded him, though he'd do nothing to anyone who didn't strike first. Alexis walked through the small elven town. The homes were made from mud and twigs, there were no shops, no life it seemed.

Alexis reached out to a young man, one who wasn't running from him. "What has happened here?" He asked.

The young man looked at him with alarm on his face. He reached out, slowly, and ran his fingers along the soft ridges of Alexis's horns. Alexis smiled at him. He appreciated curiosity. The young man was slightly taller than him, with shaggy black hair, and wide blue eyes. He looked into Alexis's yellow orbs and backed up slightly. Alexis reached up and gently touched his cheeks. "Please tell me what happened. You don't have to be afraid."

"You speak the people's language?" The young man asked. "Who are you? What are you? Why are you here?"

"I am Alexis and I'm here to help if you have a need for it."

"I have heard this name." The young man said. "The masters speak of you with disdain. You scared lady Daern'thal." He looked over his shoulder like he expected to be attacked. "She takes her revenge on the people still, because she cannot touch you."

Alexis looked up at him, his eyebrows pressing together. "It's been awhile since I've heard that name." He said, rubbing his chin. "Who is the leader of these masters? What is their goal?"

"The leader of the masters is Alduin. He's the god of chaos. The masters are trying to take all the world's magic for themselves. They intend to rip through the sky and destroy all the remaining gods so they can rule without rival."

Alexis sighed heavily. That had been the entire reason he'd wanted to go out adventuring. How could they help the rest of the world if they didn't go and see if the rest of the world needed their help? Obviously, the elves did.

"Alright, well, let's gather up an army, I guess." Alexis shrugged. He turned back to the elf. "So, who are you anyway?"

The elf bowed his head. "I am called Solas, my lord."

"How old are you, Solas?"

"Sixteen, sir."

"Wow, you are very young for an elf," Alexis said. He took Solas by the hand and led him towards where he saw glowing lights in their village. Alexis wasn't sure where they were going. "Do you have any idea who might want to join our impromptu army?" He asked.

"Yes my lord!" Solas said excitedly. "My friend, her name is Mythal." Solas looked around the square and pointed to a small hut. "She lives there. She might even be able to help us find more people."

"Well, introduce me!" Alexis said with a smile. Solas nodded and redirected them quickly towards his friend's home. He stood in front of the door and adjusted the straps around his arms, and making sure his plain white shirt was fitting properly. He raised his hand and knocked quickly. They stood there for a second, and Alexis could hear someone shuffling things around hastily.

The door opened and a young woman peeked her head out. She grinned when she saw Solas. She stepped outside, closing the door behind her. She looked over at Alexis, and her words seem to freeze in her throat. She looked frightened, as most people did when they saw him for the first time. She looked back to Solas. "Hello there, Mythal, it is an honor to meet you," Alexis said, bowing his head. "I am Alexis. Solas here tells me that Daern'thal often curses my name."

"Alexis..." She said with a breathy gasp. "The false god?"

"Okay, first of all, I made the damn sun. I'm not fake missy." He reached out and gently tapped her nose. "Second, I have come here to liberate you from the evil spirits that claim to be your masters. You in...or not?" He held out his hand for her. She reached out hesitantly, almost pulling away a few times. But she took his hand and they shook on it. "Fantastic! We're two people closer to an actual army.

* * *

 **Year -104 FA**

Alexis stood beside his nine generals. He'd raised them up, helped them inspire the elven people. The people called them the Evanuris. There were even some among the people who believed that the Evanuris were the real creators of the world. That they were gods. Not that Alexis minded that the Evanuris were being worshipped by the people. He wasn't petty like other gods he knew of. The Evanuris were very powerful, thanks to Alexis tutoring in magic. Now they were able to lead the army on their own, but they insisted that he should stay with them, to help them win victory.

He'd been away from his brother a little longer than he had expected, he wondered often how he was fairing, being the sole protector of their little swatch of land for so many years. Some of the forgetful humans might have already forgotten his name. Couldn't be helped, he figured. He'd be home soon anyway. The war was almost at an end, the masters stood no chance against Alexis and the Evanuris.

A lot had happened in the 185 years that he had been living among the elves. The best thing, in his opinion, was that the elven people were no longer afraid when they looked at him. Instead of running away in pure terror, children would cling to his robes made from silk and magic. The elders, most even older than him, would tell him stories and teach him how to be a better leader. He'd made a few...amorous connections...with men and women both.

In all those years, Solas had stood by his side. He'd changed from an awkward teenager to a real man in such a short amount of time that it genuinely shocked Alexis, who had seen humans spend their entire lives behaving like little children. He had changed his name years beforehand. He had shed the name Solas at a battle thirty years after the beginning of the war. He called himself Fen'harel.

It was a title that sent a shiver of fear down the spines of their enemies and a thrill of hope in the souls of their allies. He was a fearsome foe on the battlefield, cutting down all enemies that laid in his path. He was the best of Alexis's students when it came to magic. He seemed to live and breathe power. If Alexis didn't know any better, he would have said Soals really was a god.

"Is this truly the end?" Andruil asked, her bow clutched in her hands. Her black braid was pinned to her head, her white war paint standing out against her dark skin. "I never dreamed there would be a true end." She said with wide eyes.

Alexis put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it. "You should be proud, child." He said with a grin. "You have freed yourselves from bondage. You are truly worthy to lead your people."

"It's all thanks to you, lord Alexis," June said, his blue eyes bright with joy. He'd always been the most bubbly of the lot. "We wouldn't have had the courage to fight if you hadn't met Solas that night."

"I don't think so," Alexis told him with a gentle smile. "Living under a boot makes people uncomfortable. When they're uncomfortable, they lash out. This was a long time coming."

"Where will you go, after you've finished helping us with this damned war?" Elgar'nan asked his voice as closed off as it ever was. Elgar'nan was the oldest of the group, even older than Alexis. Sometimes he acted more like their father than he did their commander.

"I'll have to go back to my brother." Alexis shrugged. "I bet he's kinda mad at me, for being gone so long. I was only supposed to explore for ten years or so."

"Do you miss him?" Mythal asked sweetly. Oh, she was always so sweet to him.

"I miss him with every day that passes me by," Alexis told her, his brows drawing together. "I hope he forgives me quickly, I can't wait to give him a hug."

"Will you return in our lifetime?" Solas asked, propped up on his staff.

"I'll do my very best, Solas." He paused and thought. "How about...when you've established a real country, I'll come to visit the capital every year on the anniversary of our victory."

"That will be acceptable." Elgar'nan muttered, crossing his arm.

"Alright, enough talk here comes the main event," Falon'Din said, gesturing with his staff towards the gathering army of the masters. Alduin was with him, riding upon his saber bear. It was the first time that Alexis would face the self-proclaimed dragon god, and it would be the last.

"Remeber our formation!" Alexis called out. "SUL REVAS!" He screamed to the troops behind him. The large army of the people echoed his cry for freedom back to him. Alexis pulled out his sword, which he had named dusk, and ordered the charge. He used his magic to create a path of ice, which he could slide on quickly. He cut down enemies left and right, not staying in any one place for too long.

He managed to catch a glimpse of his generals, who were doing just as well as he was. He was such a proud teacher. Alexis focused back on the battle when a sword was broken on his back. He fired lightning under his arm, killing his opponent. Over the years, he'd learned the extent of his many powers. Yes, he could make the sun, he could create seasons, but he could not wave his hand and destroy an entire army, though he tried on occasion. Alexis was fine with that, however. There was no glory in such a quick battle. But his enemies still had a very rough time trying to even wound him.

The only one who had ever come close had been Duneas, the self-proclaimed goddess of madness. Their battle had taken four weeks, with Alexis emerging victorious. that had been three years ago. Now, the only one of the masters left was their leader. Alduin. But Alexis suspected he was like the others. He was strong, fearsome, willing to do anything to win. But he was no god. He would be a challenge, but Alexis always stood up to challenges.

He reached the backlines, where Alduin was hidden. The elf looked like he had aged, which was not a good sign for elves. He looked down at Alexis and smirked. "You really think that you've beaten me, don't you?" He asked. He raised his hands in the air and yelled an ancient language that not even Alexis could understand. A white light surrounded the battlefield, and Alexis saw that there were demons pulling themselves out of the ground.

Alexis looked back at Alduin with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk. "A few pesky spirits can't win against me." He said. Alduin laughed.

"No, not you, but your little pets are much less resilient." Alduin pointed back on the battlefield. Alexis almost felt his heart stop when he saw one of the demons grab June, and sink its putrid teeth into the young elf's arm. Alexis screamed in anger and rushed at Alduin, raising his blade high. The ancient master blocked the blows easily, sending his own right for Alexis's throat and chest.

An ordinary blade couldn't pierce him, but Alexis could tell that Alduin's blade was not made from any normal metal. It glittered green in the sunlight and seemed to call out to the god in pain. But Alexis was no different. He had taken a part of the sky and made his own weapon. Alexis lashed out at Alduin, severing his arm at the elbow, causing him to drop his sword.

"This will never end..." He said with a smirk, looking up at Alexis. "But perhaps, we could make a deal?" Alduin said slowly, healing his wound, stopping the bleeding. Though his arm would never grow back.

"What kind of deal?"Alexis asked, pointing his sword at Alduin's chin.

"I know that I cannot defeat you as I'm sure you know my companions and I cannot be truly killed. Allow us to leave this land in peace. Let your little pets reign over their foolish puppets and make themselves gods."

"Why are you offering me this?"

"Because I do not wish to be forced from my physical body. Self-preservation, as they say." Alduin chuckled. "And I know that you don't want this war to continue on any longer than it needs too."

Alexis looked back at his army. They weren't doing well. "You must live in peace with the Elvenuris, you may not war against their people."

"You have yourself a deal, little god." Alduin reached out his hand and the two shook on it. The spirits disappeared, returning to the abyss that they had crawled out of. Alduin bent his knee to Alexis, bowing his head. "The war is over then, I submit to your will."

"Oh jeez." Alexis looked behind him and saw his friends were running towards him. Solas reached him first. "It's over, the masters will leave this place for good. But be cautious with them, my friends, they're very tricky."

"You aren't going to kill him?" Mythal asked, her staff in hand, ready to strike Alduin down at any moment.

"They cannot be killed, my dear," Alexis said, gesturing down towards his 'defeated' foe. "He and his allies will leave this land, and never again will they be permitted to harm the people." Alexis placed his hand upon Alduin's forehead and closed his eyes. The old master let out a cry of pain, and when Alexis removed his hand, there was a simple mark there. "You will forever be bound to that oath. Now begone."

* * *

 **Year -103 FA**

Alexis was dressed to the nines, excitement in every bouncing step. Today, the Elenuris were to be crowned as the rulers of the budding kingdom of Elvhenan. Their capital city was called Arlathan. It wasn't much at that present time, but Alexis had hope. He walked into the forest and smiled at the elves that bowed to him. Many times he'd tried to convince them not to, but they kept to their traditions, so Alexis didn't push the issue.

All nine of his generals knelt before him. He touched a nearby elder tree, and it produced nine beautiful crowns that were spun with greens and browns and even some shades of gold. He placed a crown upon each of their heads and told them to rise. They did, and the people wildly voiced their approval, clapping and screaming wildly. Alexis presented them to their people and slipped away into the treeline when no one was looking.

"Call, and I shall come, my friends." He whispered quietly. He closed his eyes and allowed the wind to carry him away. He was little more than dancing leave to the untrained eye, but Solas knew who he was, waving goodbye to him with a large smile. He looked so strong, with his staff, his wolf garments, and his wooden crown that glowed in the sunlight.

As Alexis waved goodbye, he could not have imagined the fate that would befall his most favored of the mortal creatures.

* * *

Alexis returned to Usios, with his hood pulled over his face. A lot had changed since he'd been away. The main city, Ezral, where he and his brother dwelled was made from large marble, cut in the most intricate patterns that Alexis could possibly perceive at once. The people wore flowing garments made from silk, spun with magic. The streets were clean, women stood around talking happily, children played in the streets.

"You did a good job while I was gone," Alexis said to the open air. A moment later he heard a pair of boots walking quickly beside him. Alexis looked up at his brother and smiled. Lucas leaned over and hugged him tightly. "Did you miss me?" He asked.

"You know that I did," Lucas said. He pulled away and looked down the street, where people bowed to him when he passed. "You've missed a lot. Come with me to the temple, let me show you a few things. I'm sure you have a few stories to tell yourself, what have you been doing all these years?"

"Well, I helped the elven people rise up against their oppressors and form their own kingdom. I found nine generals and gave them a bit of my power and they named themselves the Elvenuris and their people raised them up as gods. So after the war was over, I crowned them as the new rulers, and came home."

"Do you think it wise to let mortals have that much power?" Lucas asked, casting him a side eye.

"They aren't mortals though. The elves do not age."

Lucas hummed, putting his arms behind his back. "But they were born of this world, weren't they?" He asked and Alexis nodded. "She said that her husband's children hold wickedness in their hearts. Your elves are no exception, I'm sure. If they become a problem, you must fix it."

"There won't be a problem," Alexis said with a wave of his hand. "I fought side by side with each one of them for two hundred years. They're good people, and I'm sure they will remain as such."

Lucas sighed and nodded. "Very well, I will trust your judgment." He said. He stopped when they came to the steps of a large marble temple. In front of the temple were two large statues of both Lucas and Alexis.

"Hmm, I half expected them to forget me," Alexis said, looking at his statue in surprise. He turned around when he heard his brother laugh. "What's so funny?"

"They have not forgotten you, brother," Lucas said, wrapping his arm around Alexis' shoulders. "As the priests teach: 'Lord Alexis saw that we were great and that many in other lands suffered. War, famine, drought. Our kind god of peace ventured out into untouched lands to lend his aid to the world. Our great Lord Lucas tells us that Alexis will return, but only the wayward god knows when."'

"There's really a legend about me?"

"Oh, there are thousands. We've been here for almost ten thousand years, Alexis. They were bound to take notice." Lucas took his brother gently by the hand and led him into the temple. The inside was circular, with a tiled floor depicting Lucas creating the moon and Alexis creating the sun. The walls had stone statues that told of other legends. Their main symbol, the golden apple, was painted on the ceiling.

"This place is amazing," Alexis said as he took it all in. "This stuff wasn't here the last time I was. How did they make all this so quickly?!"

"They had help," Lucas ran his fingers over the pure white marble. "So, who should go first? I imagine we both have a few wild stories."

"You go first," Alexis told him, sitting on a black marble bench. "I'm curious."

"Alright...it all started a month after you left."


End file.
